Fontaine stays in the mix

Taylor Fontaine of Southbridge is one shot off the lead in the 43rd Francis Ouimet Memorial Tournament after yesterday's opening round at The International Golf Club's Oaks Course.

Fontaine, a junior-to-be at the University of Rhode Island who plays out of Pleasant Valley CC in Sutton, fired a 1-under-par 71, one shot behind co-leaders Ryan Riley of Norton CC and Hans Sherman of The Country Club.

The 54-hole event continues at The International's Pines Course today and concludes tomorrow at Woodland GC in Newton. After today's round, the field will be cut to the low 40 players and ties.

“The course was in phenomenal shape, and I got off to a good start,” said Fontaine, who carded a front-nine 35. He birdied the par-3, 172-yard fourth hole with a 20-foot putt, then made a dramatic eagle on the 341-yard, par-4 fifth hole.

“I hit a 3-iron off the tee and ended up with about 86 yards to the hole,” Fontaine said of play at No. 5. From there, his wedge shot flew into the cup and he was 3-under.

Fontaine finished the front 1-under after carding a double-bogey on the par-4 ninth.

On the back nine, he birdied the 13th hole, made one bogey and finished with an even-par 36.

“It was a pretty consistent round, and my putting was good. I made about three 10-footers for pars,” said Fontaine, who recently finished eighth in the New England Amateur at the Yale GC. While competing for URI as a sophomore, Fontaine won the rain-shortened Northeast Invitational.

The 29-year-old Riley, who won this year's State Four-Ball with Herbie Aikens, carded identical nines of 35. He birdied the third and the fourth holes, both par-4s, sinking six-foot putts on each.

After bogeys at Nos. 9 and 10, Riley rebounded with a birdie at No. 11, dropping a 20-foot putt. On the 17th, he made another birdie, this time from 60 feet.

“It was a long snake of a putt that broke about seven feet,” Riley said. “One of those oops putts.”

The field of 120 features seven former champions including four-time winner Frank Vana, Jr. of Marlboro CC, who shot a 1-over 73 yesterday to remain in the hunt.

“Seventeen pars and one bogey,” said Vana after his round. “I just didn't make any putts today.”

Vana's bogey came on the par-3 fourth hole when his tee shot missed the green. He chipped on and two-putted.